


One More Night

by Akiko_Natsuko



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Apologies, Established Relationship, Heavy Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 02:56:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21246341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: “Lyon we can’t fix this,” Gray whispered, finally giving voice to the realisation that had hit him when the papers had shown that the research had ended with a dead-end. “There is no magic cure. No way to hold this back, and I can’t fight it much longer.”There's always hope, until there isn't. But even then there are choices, and Gray knows that he wants to end things on his own terms.





	One More Night

Whoever had come up with the saying that ‘fortune favours the bold’ clearly knew nothing of real-life Gray thought bitterly as he tossed the files he had been rooting through onto the floor. It had taken them months to find this place, one of the last facilities that had been trying to find a cure to the virus that had swept across the world in a never-ending wave as humans turned on one another as their humanity was stripped away. Months of living on the run, not that there was any other choice, as all but the most remote ‘shelters’ had fallen by now. Months of fighting for their lives nearly every day, scavenging for what food they could find and going hungry more often not, all for the faint spark of hope they’d had when Levy’s research had pointed them towards this place. Yet, here they were, with nothing, and no hope of more information, because their last contact from Levy and her group had been a month ago, their last message ending with the all too familiar screech of metal barriers falling and the sharp crack of gunfire.

“There’s nothing here.” Gray grimaced. Somehow it was worse hearing it spoken aloud, or maybe it was because his partner sounded so broken as he whispered them, as though saying it quietly would make it any different, and his expression was cold as he turned to look at Lyon.

“We knew that might be the case.”

“How can you be so calm?!” Lyon erupted, eyes wild as he stared at him before the fire seemed to die as quickly as it had come. As was often the case these days, as though something in him had broken with each failure, and Gray’s heart was already twisting at that thought, even before Lyon added softly. “Gray you…”

“Don’t say it,” Gray cut him off. _Please don’t say it,_ he thought, not letting the plea slip out even as he couldn’t stop himself rubbing at his arm, even the lightest touch enough to send pain lancing through it these days. He was running out of time. They were running out of time. There was no escaping that, especially now that they stood surrounded by the failure of their last hope, and as much as he tried to pretend that he had accepted it, that he didn’t care, it was a lie. But, it was a lie he needed to cling to, because if he didn’t then he was going to fall apart, and if that happened then everything was lost.

“Gray…” Lyon moved across to him, reaching out to stop him from rubbing at his arm, something that Gray hadn’t even realised he was still doing, fingers gentle as he tugged it away. “You can’t keep i-ignoring this.” He was trying so hard to match Gray’s calm, but his voice quivered and broke, the pain breaking free and Gray sighed, before stepping forward, pulling his arm free in favour of pulling Lyon into a tight hug.

“I’m not,” he whispered into Lyon’s shoulder. _I wish that I could,_ he thought but didn’t add, feeling the infected arm twitching and straining towards Lyon, gritting his teeth as he fought to hold it back. This had been happening more and more often, something that he had been desperately trying to hide from Lyon. “But, one of us has to be calm,” he teased, knowing that it fell flat, even before Lyon pulled back and glowered at him.

“I’m losing you,” Lyon whispered, and Gray flinched. Knowing that it was true in more ways than one, barely resisting the urge to glance down at his arm. That was the most blatant way, the virus burrowing deeper each day, and he knew that he was teetering on the edge of losing. But, he was the one that was pulling away. Who had been pulling away for weeks now, maybe even months, trying to put a distance between them through some misguided hope that it would make the inevitable less painful. However, as he met Lyon’s haunted gaze, seeing the deep shadows beneath his eyes, the lines that hadn’t been there that long ago, the grief that couldn’t be hidden anymore, he realised that nothing he did was going to change that. Lyon loved him. Had followed him on this desperate search for answers when he could have stayed in the safety of the Lamia Scale compound, holding on even as Gray had done everything to pull away from him, and something painful twisted in his chest.

“I’m so sorry…” He stepped closer, bridging the gap between them in a way that he hadn’t in too long, moving slow enough to give Lyon time to pull away if he wanted, knowing that it was what he deserved. Instead, Lyon welcomed him, pulling him close and hugging him tightly. “I…” He hesitated, struggling to give voice to the one thing he had avoided saying since he had first been bitten, taking a deep breath and drawing strength from the arms wrapped around him. “I’m scared.” He waited with bated breath, not sure whether he was expecting the world to crumble around them or for Lyon to crumple at the admission, instead, Lyon just held him tighter.

“I know,” Lyon murmured, leaning up to kiss him on the forehead. “I’ve always known.”

“But…”

“I wanted to hear you say it,” Lyon stopped him. “You’ve always kept things bottled up, and that can only last so long.” He was stroking Gray’s back now, soothing him, and Gray bit his lip, feeling his eyes beginning to sting. He always forgot how strong Lyon could be in these moments. His partner had always been more open about how he felt, especially since Gray had been bitten and they’d both known they were living on borrowed time, and he let his head drop onto Lyon’s shoulder, taking a shuddering breath.

“I’m sorry it took so long.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything else,” Lyon laughed, the sound slightly watery. “You’ve always been stubborn. Remember how it took me months to convince you that I really like you?”

“I do,” Gray smiled at that, just a faint twitch of his lips, but more than he’d done in a long time. That felt like a memory from a different lifetime, from a different Gray, and the smile faded as he felt his arm twitch and shudder again. Only this time it wasn’t stopping, seeming to take on a life of its own and it burned. A sickening pain lancing through the arm and spreading across his chest. With a sharp cry he wrenched himself away from Lyon as he felt his arm reaching for his partner, eyes wide with horror as the bandages that he’d wrapped around it began to bulge and fall apart, his fingers becoming twisted mockeries of what they should be, his nails that had turned black months before now elongating. “Stay back!” He managed to bark through the pain, sensing rather than seeing Lyon moving towards him, stumbling back to put more distance between them.

“Gray…”

Gray couldn’t respond, everything narrowing down to the twisted monstrosity that was now his left arm, clutching it with his other hand as he fought to get it back under control. Swearing that he could feel the transformation spreading, like a fire crawling through his veins, spreading further than it ever had before, until he thought that maybe this was it. Maybe this was how it was going to end, and yet even as he thought that, his mind and heart rebelled against that thought.

_Not yet. Please, just give me a little longer…_

_ ._ He knew that even if he managed to get it back under control, it was only going to push back the inevitable by days, hours… maybe even minutes, and his eyes burned, tears slipping free. He didn’t want that inevitable. He didn’t want any of this. He didn’t want to die. But if he had to die. If he had to lose to this curse, then he wanted it to be on his own terms, and slowly he lifted his head, looking up at Lyon through blurry eyes. “Please...”

“Gray?”

“Lyon we can’t fix this,” Gray whispered, finally giving voice to the realisation that had hit him when the papers had shown that the research had ended with a dead-end. “There is no magic cure. No way to hold this back, and I can’t fight it much longer.”

“Yes, you can!” Lyon shouted, the panic replaced with horror as it began to dawn on him what Gray was asking of him, shaking his head as he backed away. “You’ve held it back this long, and there are still places we can search. People that might…”

“Lyon,” Gray whispered, falling to his knees, the afflicted arm now cradled against his chest. “Please, I don’t want to die.” He didn’t want to die, he didn’t want things to end in this stupid medical facility a thousand miles away from anything familiar. He wanted to keep living, to keep loving Lyon, even in this hellish world. He wanted every moment that they could eke out. “But that’s going to happen because there aren’t any answers. This was our last chance, and we’ve got nothing. So, all I have left is ending this on my terms.”

“But…”

“Look at me,” Gray forced himself to hold out the arm as it shuddered and strained towards Lyon, hungry for the human just out of reach. He felt sick to his stomach as he reached out with trembling fingers, slowly unwinding the bandages and letting them fall to the ground. The skin beneath bore no resemblance to a human, raw and red, and dead in too many places as black veins streaked up the limb. “It’s spreading, and it’s taking parts of me. I can feel it. A hunger. An anger that isn’t mine, and it wants to spread and grow.” He looked down, unable to look at Lyon as he whispered. “It wants to hurt you.”

There was silence for a long minute and Gray couldn’t bring himself to move or look up, barely able to breathe. For all that he had tried to push Lyon away for so long, the thought that he had finally succeeded was terrifying. Then there was a tentative touch against his head, fingers brushing through his hair, before Lyon’s hand moved to his chin, tilting his head up. Unable to fight both Lyon and his arm, Gray went with it, slowly lifting his head and meeting Lyon’s heartbroken gaze with his own. There was none of the fear or revulsion he’d half expected to find, just grief and love, and Gray ached to see it, wondering what he had ever done to deserve that look. “Lyon…”

“Just…” Lyon swallowed, shaking his head, his eyes darting between Gray’s arm and then the gun strapped to his side. “J-Just give me tonight. Give one more night, and then…and then…” He couldn’t say it, instead gesturing at his weapon and the matching one strapped to Gray’s back with a shaking hand, but for all that his gaze when he met Gray’s eyes once more was steady. It was a promise. One that was breaking his heart and Gray hated himself for the relief that gripped him. The thought of waiting even that long was terrifying, his arm twitching against his chest, the unnatural nails scraping against his own skin as the arm seemed to realise it wasn’t getting near its desired prey. But he couldn’t deny Lyon, not after everything and he took a deep breath before nodding.

“One more night.”


End file.
